Stanger Than You Dreamt It
by Harper Robedeaux
Summary: J/D- Josh and Donna discover that they have met before
1. Ch. 1-Angel of Music

Title: Stranger than You Dreamt It pt. 1

Author's Name: Harper Robedeaux

Category: Josh/Donna

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Josh and Donna Discover that they have met before

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm just playing with them. The title is derived from the song from The Phantom of the Opera.

Setting: Madison, Wisconsin October 1991

"Josh, I know football isn't your thing, but enjoy it just this once," Diana said as she was standing with Josh in at the front of a line for tickets. Tickets to a high school football game. "Besides, Josh, I want to see my niece, who's with the band."

"Ok. And why am I here," Josh asked with a smirk on his face.

"You're here so you can meet my family and all that good suicide," Diana retorted, showing that she too, had a since of humor. She got her tickets and they both walked past the metal detectors and into the stands and took a seat.

"What time is kickoff," Josh asked.

"8."

He looked at his watch, which read 7:15. "What are we doing here so early?"

"Because my niece is with the band and her director is quite strict, so unless we wait until the 3rd quarter, now's the time to see her." As soon as Diana had spoken these words, on the track they saw a tall slender blonde and a shorter brunette, both in figure skater looking uniform. The blonde caught sight of Diana and quickly ran up to her and gave her a big hug.

"Hi Aunt Diana," she said.

"Hi Donnatella," her aunt said. Diana turned to Josh and said, "This is my niece, Donnatella." The two said 'hellos' and Donnatella took a seat beside her aunt.

"Donna, what's this get-up you have on? I thought you were with the band." 

"Oh, I am, but I'm with the colourguard." 

"Oh, ok."

This brief conversation was interrupted by a deep female voice screaming "All flag girls, come and warm up."

"Well, I'd better go," Donna said as she got up to leave. "All right Donna, be careful, and see you in the 3rd quarter."

"I will!"

Josh was in a haze all throughout the first half. Thinking of the pretty girl he had seen. Tall, slender, with long, straight blonde hair, and pretty blue eyes. From his vantagepoint, he could see her well from the track as she danced. Yes, he could tell he was much younger than his 29. Yes, he knew that there was a beautiful woman at his side. But how long could they last? Their relationship was like kayaking through the rapids. Just when you think you've tackled the worst thing to come at you, here come some more. He was tired of it. But they had both put to much time into this relationship to at least not try.

Diana got up and left during the second quarter in a rendezvous with some old friends. To relive their high school days and whatnot. So he just sat there in his haze and mindlessly watched the football.

Donna stood in the little yard between the Band/JROTC wing of the building and the weight training outbuilding. She was busily throwing a flag through the air, thinking of her Aunt's boyfriend. It was just her, the flag, and the Lolita-esqe fantasies in her head. 'Stop it Donna, he's gonna be your uncle… ewww.' She lost all concentration on what she was doing and the flag hit her smack in the head. 

"Donna, are you ok," her companion that was with her on the track, named Amy. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," Donna said, her voice sounding so far away. 

"My god," she said, rushing to her friend's side. "What were you thinking?" As if right on cue, Amy got a grin on your face. "I know what you're thinking about!" 

"Is that a bet?" Donna said with a sly grin on her face.

"You're thinking about that piece of meat you're aunt dragged in, aren't you," teased Amy. Donna's face fell.

"Yeah, so," she stuttered, "he's an attractive man."

"But you wanna…" Amy trailed off making sounds that left no question as to what she was implying. 

"Stop that!"

No sooner had Donna said that, than their fierce band director screamed, "Flag girls, get in line." The pre-game had begun.

Josh got up after half time, after watching Donna's skillful dancing and twirling, and went around looking for his Diana. And he indeed did find his Diana. In the arms of an 'old friend', his lips trying to suck hers face in to his mouth. Josh said nothing as the two made a very public display, just walked aimlessly through the crowds, thinking of his naivete to the whole situation at hand. How could be so stupid to think that someone like Diana had not had other liaisons. 

'Screw it', he thought to himself, 'she's not worth it'. 

After halftime, Donna had changed back into her normal uniform. She wrapped herself in a blanket thanks to the cool than usual weather and walked around the crowds. She craved the isolation for some reason. And so she found herself at a concession stand and figured she ought to get herself a little something.

"A popcorn and a bottle of water," she said. She exchanged the money for the goods and turned to head off. She bumped into a character not much taller than she. She looked up to realize that the man was he aunt's boyfriend. "Hello," she said with a smile.

"Hi," he said looking down at her. 

"Getting some food," Donna asked in some pitiful attempt at conversation.

"Nah, I'm just walking."

"Can I walk with you, or would you rather be alone," Donna asked.

"You can come with me that's fine."

The two took a loop around the stadium. They chatted about various things, from politics, to Josh's current situation. For a while Josh forgot Donna was in high school, until he looked down at her and her flag girl uniform.

"So how old are you, Donna," Josh finally asked.

"18," said Donna instinctively, knowing she was in fact only 16.

Thoughts immediately churned through Josh's mind. Then he stopped on the sidewalk. Donna walked ahead a few feet then turned around and walked back to him. "What is it," she asked.

"It's a bit noisy out here. Do you want to continue this conversation somewhere a bit more private," Josh asked, fully aware that his intentions were not of conversation. 

Almost as if she had ESP, Donna picked up on this. She looked up at him with a sly smile on her face and said almost seductively, "Sure."

TBC... 


	2. Ch. 2-Past the Point of NO Return

1 Title: Stranger Than You Dreamt It pt 2- Past the Point of No Return  
  
Author: Harper Robedeaux  
  
Rating: R  
  
Category: Romance/Angst Josh/Donna  
  
Summary: Josh and Donna discover they have met in the most awkward way  
  
Note: This is NOT based on American Beauty in any way shape or form, although if I read this myself I'd think it was. Oh well. I wasn't even planning on writing this but since I got 2 good reviews in 6 hours of writing this, I'll continue. Also this ties in a little bit with my fic "Love and Pixy Sticks" as far as the whole car whore thing goes.  
  
  
  
The two walked out to the parking lot. Josh led Donna to a beat up grey car in the middle of the lot that was obviously Josh's. He opened the door to the back seat and motioned for Donna to get inside. She obeyed. As soon as he was inside and had shut the door, the two consumed each other in a passionate kiss.  
  
No passionate is an understatement.  
  
Donna knew that this was wrong. Oh, but it was so right.  
  
Josh removed the top of her flag girl uniform. It was sleeveless and royal blue. On the chest there were sparkles. The top reached halfway down her thigh, with a split just below the waist. The rest of the uniform was just a pair of royal blue pants with an elastic waist that were irredecent and spandex-polyester. Beneath the top of her uniform she had on a royal blue bra. Her breasts were small but proportionate. Her stomach was toned and her alabaster skin glowed in the near-darkness of his car, save the exception of the stadium lights.  
  
Damn, she's hot.  
  
Josh (with Donna's aid) removed his coat and his T-shirt, revealing a slightly toned chest with just a bit of hair. They looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment and resumed the kiss. Josh's hands trailed down Donna's back, trying to unhook the clasp. He had succeeded and was just about ready to slide the straps down her shoulders when…  
  
(click) The door opened letting in the cool October air as well as a pissed off female voice screaming, "JOSHUA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"  
  
It was Diana.  
  
TBC… 


	3. Ch. 3- Wandering Child

1 Title: Stranger Than You Dreamt It- pt 3  
  
Author: Harper Robedeaux  
  
Rating: R  
  
Category: Romance, J/D  
  
Summary: Josh and Donna discover they have met before.  
  
Disclaimer: see pt 1  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry that last chapter was so short. I'll make it up to you I promise. In the next chapter or the chapter after that I may try to tie this in with the present universe. We'll just wait and see. Is insomnia something that comes with being a writer?  
  
ON WITH THE SHOW!!!  
  
"Diana," Josh questioned.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"  
  
"Me and her…" Josh trailed off, not exactly sure of how to phrase this.  
  
"It's totally my fault, Aunt Diana," Donna said as she put back on her uniform top. The two adults had completely forgotten Donna's existence at that point. She fumbled with the lock to get out of the other side of the car. "Completely my fault," she reiterated as she walked back to the stadium.  
  
Diana and Josh followed her with their eyes as she walked back into the stadium. Diana then turned to Josh and said through her clenched teeth, "Joshua, we need to talk." She crawled into the car and shut the door. Merely 3 seconds had passed before she banged her fist against the door and screamed, "Fuck, Josh, how could you do this to me?"  
  
"Hey, don't even think for a second that I didn't see you kissing some old friend of yours out in the stands, all right," Josh yelled back defensively.  
  
Diana tensed up. "Well…" she said, not being able to think of a retort.  
  
Josh continued in a calmer voice, "I saw you making out with him and thought to myself "fuck it" so I walked around the stadium when I bumped into your niece. We started talking and one thing led to another."  
  
"Well at least mine wasn't a crime," Diana said.  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"She's 16, Josh."  
  
Josh sat there taken aback. "She told me she was 18!!!!!"  
  
"I knew she'd wind up doing something like that," Diana said.  
  
"Well, you're still not off Scot-free on your little rendezvous with your friend."  
  
"He's my old high school boyfriend. We started talking and one thing led to another."  
  
"So we're even, then," Josh interrupted.  
  
"No no no. It's one thing to make out with one's ex. It's a different thing to almost sleep with your girlfriend's niece."  
  
"You know Diana, I'm not even sure I want to call you my girlfriend anymore."  
  
Diana turned to look at Josh. "And I'm not sure I want to call you my boyfriend anymore," she said coldly.  
  
"So this is it," Josh asked.  
  
"Yeah. I guess so."  
  
8 8 8  
  
After all was said and done, Josh moved back to DC and Diana went back to her home in Seattle. Donna graduated high school 2 years later. Inspired by the near-one-night-stand with her aunt's boyfriend, she decided to major in political science, in hopes that their paths would cross again. But as fate would have it, she met a gomer whom we all know as the evil Dr. Freeride.  
  
Although Josh dated various women in that 8-year period that they had not seen each other, he still never forgot that cute flag girl. He wondered what had become of her. Had she joined a drum corps? Had she gone to college? Had she even patched things up with Diana?  
  
8 8 8  
  
Flash forward: Hew Hampshire 1998. Bartlet campaign office.  
  
Josh sat at his desk as a ball of energy with blonde hair called Donna started answering phones. She had literally walked into the campaign office and hired herself. Josh studied her closely. Yes, he has diffidently seen her before, but from where…  
  
TBC… 


	4. Ch. 4- Stranger Than You Dreamt It

1 Title: Stranger than You Dreamt it pt 4  
  
Author: Harper Robedeaux  
  
Rating: R  
  
Category: J/D, Romance, and Drama  
  
Summary: Josh and Donna discover that they have met before.  
  
Author's Notes: I AM SO SORRY that these chapters have been so short. School's started back and this semester is more grueling than the last (man, last semester I had it SO easy…). So, forgive me?  
  
  
  
8Present Day- Josh Lyman's Apartment8  
  
The gang sat around in Josh's apartment, celebrating that the last of the subpoenas had been handed down earlier that day. Josh, Donna, CJ, Toby, Sam, and Ainsley sat around drinking and being jovial.  
  
CJ had asked everyone in the room what the wildest thing they did in high school was. Even Toby laughed as Sam proclaimed that Laurie was not the first call girl he had slept with unknowingly. Slowly each of them told their tales. Then they came around to Donna.  
  
"What about you, Donna," CJ asked.  
  
"No, I really don't want to tell…" The people sitting around her would not accept that as an answer. Donna took a deep breath and began her tale.  
  
"I was 16 and in marching band…"  
  
"Oh shit, you're not gonna say 'one time at band camp', are you," Toby asked. Everyone in the room let out a chuckle, even Donna.  
  
"No, Toby, I was on colourguard. But I played flute during concert season but that's irrelevant. Anyhow, my aunt had brought in her pretty good- looking boyfriend. So after half time I went walking around and ran into him. He was kind of pissed because he saw my aunt and her old boyfriend making out. So we had a delightful conversation… then I lied and told him I was 18. We went back to his car and got this-close to doing it before my aunt busted us."  
  
The entire room was speechless with their mouths hanging wide open, especially Josh. Not only had he never expected this kind of behaiviour out of his assistant, but he had also come to the realization of when they had met before.  
  
"Donna wins," CJ finally said. Everyone held their drinks up in toast to the new Queen of Wild Things. Donna stood up and said, "I'm going to go get some water," as she walking into the kitchen. Josh, seeing this opportunity to talk to her alone, seized it.  
  
8 8 8  
  
Getting water was not the actual reason Donna had left the room. She wanted to escape from their gaping stares and judgmental looks. She knew she probably shouldn't have told them that story, but she did anyway. She crouched down next to some cabinets and reflected on that night. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear the kitchen door creak open. But she did. She looked up to see her boss with a nervous smile on his face. He opened his mouth to speak to her but she silenced him.  
  
"Josh, if you've come in here to tell me about my terrible taste in men then save your breath, and if you're in here to tell me about how disappointed you are, then save some more breath, cause you didn't know me back then."  
  
Josh contemplated the sheer irony of the words she had just spoken and uttered with a content smirk on his face, "Actually that's not entirely true."  
  
Donna looked up at him about ready to snap and said, "What do you mean…" She stopped herself in mid-sentence and looked Josh up and down. Yep, he had lost some hair and aged, but his eyes and smile hadn't changed at all. She had always wondered where she had seen that smirk before.  
  
Donna's mouth hung wide open as the realization gripped her. She stood up and pointed. "IT WAS YOU!"  
  
Josh stared down at the floor and nodded. He was afraid to look into Donna's eyes because he was afraid of the emotion that lied beneath. Was it of rejection and utter disgust? Probably, but alas he confronted his fears and looked at her face.  
  
The said face was shock ridden. AN expression Josh could not easily read. She was not thrilled, nor angry, nor sad. She was just shocked. Donna herself did not know what to say. The two stood in silence for a while before Donna finally spoke up.  
  
"Josh, I think she should just go our separate ways for tonight. I need to time to sort this out," Donna said as she quickly walked out of his apartment, leaving all the others present in a state of wonder, and Josh speechless.  
  
8 8 8  
  
Donna sat in the window of her apartment thinking about the events that had taken place earlier. How could she have gone all these years without remembering? She sat with her bowl of popcorn watching the rain fall down the window. "Oh, it's raining. How cliché," she thought to herself. The radio in the background was playing as thoughts swirled through her head. "Well, on the one hand this is the perfect opportunity to get what you want. Josh. But on the other hand he's your boss…" Donna growled as she threw down a piece of popcorn. Just as she looked out the window on the starry night she saw a beautiful woman with a handsome man walking down the street. Their arms were around each other. Then, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Donna's heart ached at the beautiful scene laid before her eyes, so innocent, so… sweet. 'God I was that for myself…'  
  
With that, Donnatella Moss got up and drove off to Josh's apartment. 


End file.
